


Transcendental Shaping

by Potential Violet (Potential_Violet)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Guide, Summoning, Weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-02 10:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8664907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potential_Violet/pseuds/Potential%20Violet
Summary: A description of one the five established design-projection techniques for summoned weapons.





	

**Transcendental Shaping**

Also referred to as the trance method, transcendental shaping is unanimously recognised as the most difficult, time-consuming and dangerous of all the design-projection techniques.

Often (incorrectly) summarised as mixture between the objective method and the regeneration method, transcendental shaping blends the separation of body and gem involved in the former, with the attunement to one's gem needed for the latter. The result is a technique that will demand your absolute dedication and a flexibility of mind to master, and in practice most Gems find themselves unable to achieve the level of focus this method depends on.

It should come as no surprise to know that this is by far the least often encountered technique; when it is used, it is almost exclusively by martial arts masters, and by mystics as a form of testing.

Outline

To begin the process the practitioner first needs to reach a higher state of consciousness, where the physical projections of their gem can be reformed with much greater ease and precision than would usually be possible.

Soon after entering the elevated state the practitioner projects either a template of the object they want to be able to summon (also referred to as the intermediary), or — for those who are still unsure of what to create — a shapeless mass. The new construct is able exist independently of the gem for as long as the practitioner remains in the ascended state, and during that time is infinitely changeable in its properties.

The 'shaping' of the object happens in the third and final stage of the technique. Though physically separate from the gem, the construct shares a connection with it: through this connection the practitioner is able to adjust the characteristics of the construct as they hold it, by simply imagining the changes they want to make. When the practitioner is satisfied with their design they revert to their usual state of consciousness, sealing the object's final form and binding it to their gem.

**WARNING:** When attempting this technique ensure that there is nothing you will need to attend to for some time, as being disturbed during the process could result in mental trauma.

Proper preparation, both mental **and** physical, is crucial.

Advantages

\- The main advantage of this method is the unmatched control over the weapon's balance that it provides: assessing the weight of a yet-to-be-summoned weapon can be very difficult, transcendental shaping eliminates this difficulty.

\- The practitioner can make corrections to their design in real time, in the physical world: this leads to shorter average design periods, and gives practitioners the opportunity to test designs with their own hands — something not possible with other methods.

\- The initial difficulty some Gems have summoning their weapon once it has been created is never seen with this method. Once bound to their gem, practitioners report feeling a 'naturalness' to the summoning of their weapon.

Disadvantages

\- This method is notoriously difficult to initiate: while the second and third stages are straightforward, getting into the right state of mind proves to be something most people simply cannot do.

\- It can be very time consuming: even if a practitioner is eventually able to enter the transcendental state it might take them a long time to do so.

\- While in a heightened state of consciousness practitioners do not perceive the world as they normally do: sensory inputs are incorporated into their trance, leaving them unable to react appropriately to danger in most cases.

\- Although it is difficult, a person can be forcibly brought down to their regular state from the ascended one: this will likely seal an incomplete design to the practitioner's gem, and can cause long term mental damage. This method should only be interrupted if shattering appears imminent.


End file.
